Bathtime
by Hobsonfan
Summary: I wanted Robbie and Laura to have some good clean fun but Laura is so tired and Robbie's back hurts. This takes place right before Robbie realizes he is ready for a new chapter.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not for profit, story. I do not own these characters, just borrowing them from Lewis.**

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The past few weeks had been labor intensive for Dr. Laura Hobson and today was more of the same. She was working on a badly decomposed body found in a wooded area. Assigned to the case were Inspector Lewis and Sergeant Hathaway. They were waiting for her post-mortem report, hoping it would provide clues as to the victim's identity and cause of death. Robbie called Laura officially to check on the status of her report but really he wanted to make sure she was all right, knowing how hard she had been working lately. Laura once told him the most difficult cases for her were those where the victim had been in the water, had severe burns, or was badly decomposed. He knew she had been tasked with all of those recently.

Laura saw that it was Robbie calling, answered the phone and apologized for not getting back to him. She told him this was a challenging case and several samples had been sent off to the lab so her report would not be final until the results of those tests were reviewed. Robbie told her not to worry, he could wait. Then he asked her how she was doing after such a difficult day.

"I'm exhausted", she said, "Too tired to drive home, I'm going to sleep in my office". "Don't do that", he answered, "let me drive you home. We're on a break and then we're going back to the crime scene. I'm an insomniac and can function without sleep but there's no reason you shouldn't get some." Laura accepted his offer, looking forward to sleeping in her own bed instead of on the couch in her office. In Robbie's car on the way home, she closed her eyes and started to drift off to sleep, mumbling about having a bath, how she'd love to take one before she went to bed but was so tired, afraid she'd fall asleep in there. Robbie, thinking she was asleep whispered, "I could sit and talk to you while you did that, keep you awake". Laura, still drowsy, asked Robbie if he really would. He stammered, "I could sit outside the bathroom and talk to you through the door, then when you are done, I'll go back to work." She said there was no need to sit outside the door, she trusted him, and a bath before bed would be lovely.

Once home Laura asked Robbie if he would pour her a glass of wine while she went upstairs and got in the bathtub, then he should come up. "It's the first door on the right at the top of the stairs" she informed him. Robbie nodded and headed into her kitchen, a room he had been in before. He waited a few minutes before going up the stairs and entered the first door on the right, Laura's bedroom. He could see the open door to the bathroom at the far end of the room. Laura heard him and told him to come on in; she had moved a chair there for him. Robbie went in the bathroom and saw that Laura was under a mound of bubbles in the tub. He set the wineglass on a shelf by the tub where she could reach it, then sat down.

For the next several minutes they discussed the case as if they were in the morgue or his office. Then Robbie's phone rang and he told her sorry, it was Hathaway, he'd have to take the call. Laura heard his side of the conversation. "I'm meeting with Dr. Hobson, going over her initial findings. No, you don't need to join us; she won't have the final report until tomorrow and she's ready to call it a night. See you back at the crime scene in about an hour."

After Robbie hung up, Laura asked him if he would fetch her some pajamas from the second shelf of her wardrobe in the bedroom. He walked to the wardrobe, looked where she said, and saw three pairs of pajamas. He felt the nearest pair, soft purple plaid pajama bottoms with a solid purple top. He saw two more pair, red and blue versions of the purple ones. He chuckled to himself that there were no green ones, the color of her work scrubs. Then from out of nowhere came the thought that Laura always looked nice, but especially nice in blue, so he chose that pair. He carried them back into the bathroom, held them up for Laura to see and raised his eyebrows. She nodded, then Robbie blushed and asked, "Do you want anything to wear erm under these"? "Top shelf, right side, thanks", she answered, seemingly unaware that this exchange was in any way unusual.

Robbie went back to the wardrobe and the top shelf this time, accidently looking left instead of right. He saw several sets of matching lacy bras and knickers of various colours, inhaled deeply, and then forced himself to look right. There he saw matching tank top undershirts and cotton underpants. The top two sets were yellow and pink. He touched the yellow ones then wondered if there was a blue set. He reached down under the next level, the purple and white sets, and found a pale blue set. He thought these would nicely match the pajamas. Then he worried that Laura would think he was pawing through her things because he was sure that anyone who organized their wardrobe like this would surely know where each item was placed. Somehow it seemed important to him that she have the blue ones so he decided to risk her noticing that he must have searched for them. He returned to the bathroom, held them up, and again she nodded. Then he said he would go out into the hall and wait for her to get ready for bed.

A few minutes later Laura came out in the hall dressed in the blue pajamas. He could see evidence of the pale blue tank top underneath. She handed him a set of keys and asked would he lock up when he left, then said as her car was still at work, she would make him breakfast if he could come back in the morning and pick her up. This time it was Robbie who nodded. Laura kissed him on the check and said, "This is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me, thank-you".

Driving away from Laura's house Robbie felt content, something he hadn't experienced since Val died. He had been kind to someone he cared about, did what she needed, and it was appreciated by her. And it felt good, really good.


	2. Chapter 2

Robbie went back to work after he left Laura's house. They got a break in the case and he was able to get home by 2 AM. By then his back was hurting him; he hadn't been very comfortable sitting in that small chair in Laura's bathroom but he didn't complain about it at the time; he felt that she wanted him there. And he didn't want to be anywhere else. He got into bed but as usual he did not sleep. The pain in his lower back got worse by the hour. Laura had told him to come over for breakfast but his back hurt so much by then he didn't think he could make the drive, sitting in the car would be impossible. He couldn't even figure out how he was going to get himself up and to the bathroom.

Laura was just getting out the eggs and bacon to cook for Robbie's breakfast when her phone rang. It was Robbie calling to say he was sorry, his back hurt and he didn't think he could get out of bed, much less get over to her house for breakfast. Laura asked him a few questions about his symptoms and pain level, then gave him the choice of getting someone to take him to A and E at the hospital or having her come over to take a look at him. Robbie knew if he didn't let Laura come over she would probably team up with Hathaway and they would both take him to the hospital. Laura said she would be over as soon as she could (she had to get a taxi to work first to get her car) and told Robbie to call James to say that he wouldn't be in to work today because of his back. Then she said to tell James he was seeing a doctor this morning so the sergeant wouldn't be calling for an ambulance. Laura said he should stay flat on his back in bed; she would let herself in with the key he gave her to use when she fed his cat while he was visiting Lyn.

When Laura arrived at his flat and went into his bedroom she saw that the bed was empty except for a discarded pair of faded pajama bottoms. She heard Robbie calling her name from the bathroom. She went into the bathroom to find Robbie naked and leaning against the wall, unable to move. Robbie said he wanted to use the bathroom before she got there and thought he could manage getting there and back, and to put on his robe. He didn't have a problem until he reached to flush and then the pain got much worse until he pulled his hand back. Then he went ahead and reached out again this time flushing but causing so much pain he couldn't move at all. Laura asked him why he did that when it hurt so much the first time he tried it. Robbie said he had to because she was coming over. Laura reminded him that she was a doctor and had seen just about everything so he should have known better.

Laura asked him where he kept the medicine and instructions from his last trip to the doctor for his back. He said they were in the cabinet over the sink. Laura pulled them out, read over the instructions and said since he was upright they would take advantage of that now and he could take his muscle relaxant and pain pills. From the number of tablets left in each bottle it looked like he hadn't been taking them as prescribed. First she got him some milk and a biscuit so that the pills wouldn't upset his empty stomach then helped him get the pills in his mouth with some water. Up to this point Laura had purposely looked him in the eye at all times so that he wouldn't be embarrassed and think she had seen any of the rest of him. As she put the water and the pill bottles down she looked around the bathroom and observed, "Robbie, you have a really big…bathtub!"

Robbie said that was why he took this flat; it had a bathtub he could actually fit in. Laura asked him if he followed his care plan and went for physical therapy. He was supposed to have six sessions in a warm whirlpool bath with massage after. Robbie said no, he wasn't going to have someone he didn't know touching him. "What about someone you do know", she asked him. Laura pointed out he didn't have much choice now, he was naked and unable to move so it was either let her help him or she could phone for an ambulance or the fire brigade, or even Hathaway. Robbie said he'd choose her but didn't know how she would get him into the tub seeing as he couldn't move.

Laura turned on the taps and got the tub full of hot water and added the Epsom Salts she had brought with her. Then she pushed her hand into the small of his back and told him to bend his knees. Miraculously after she touched him he was able to bend his knees, lean on Laura, and get into the tub. Laura told him that the Epsom Salts would increase his body's levels of magnesium and sulfate to help the injured tissue recover and that the hot water would relieve stress from the vertebrae and spine to make his back feel better and his muscles more compliant for massage.

Robbie said that the water felt really good and he appreciated her being there to help him but didn't she have to go to work? Laura said that Rawbone owed her a favor; she had covered for him when his wife had cataract surgery so he was coming in on his day off to work her shift and she would go in later when the lab results from yesterday's case were in. She said he should stay in the tub another 15 minutes and if he told her where to look, she would get him something to put on for his massage after he got out of the tub. Robbie said to look in his wardrobe in the bedroom and he'd wear whatever she picked out. Robbie lay back in the tub thinking how he enjoyed picking out Laura's pajamas and matching underwear the night before.

Laura opened the wardrobe and took her time looking around. She had 15 minutes and thought Robbie might appreciate a bit of privacy. She found the shelf with his underclothes and was shocked by what she discovered. Robbie's boxers (that answered that question) and tee shirts were all very thin and worn and some had crude stitching holding seams together. Then it hit her, he hadn't bought new underwear since Val had died. He must be wearing these to keep her close to him and probably couldn't bear to throw them away. Laura had noticed over the past year that he only wore an undershirt on cold days; he must be trying to make these last as long as possible. She saw some new packages of underclothes on the next shelf. They were from a store that opened since Val had passed away. Lyn (at least she hoped it was Lyn) must have bought them for him. It looked like one item from each package had been taken out, laundered and put back. She guessed he probably wore the new ones when he went to the doctor; that's what most people did, except for her patients who would have worn new underwear if they had known they were going to die the last time they got dressed.

Laura carefully and gently refolded the worn items, matching them up as best she could and smoothing out the wrinkles. She put aside a couple that badly needed repair. Then she found some red plaid pajama pants that looked fairly new; probably a Christmas present from Lyn, and brought them into the bathroom. Robbie said the bath felt good, but he wasn't sure he would be able to get himself out of the tub. Laura said she would help lift him, that she was stronger than she looked. Robbie let her guide him out of the tub, dry him off, and get into the pajama pants. Then she supported him and led him back to his bed. Robbie lay on his stomach while Laura started to gently massage his back. As she increased the speed and pressure she told him to let her know which felt better, slow or fast, gentle or strong. Robbie stammered something unintelligible about it not being up to him, she was the doctor. Laura stopped what she was doing, put her face close to his and said "doctors don't know how you feel unless you tell them". Robbie closed his eyes and said "slow and gentle for now".

Laura spent another 20 minutes massaging him and told him that it would increase blood flow and circulation, bringing needed nutrition to his muscles and tissues. It should also improve his flexibility, reduce pain, and maybe even help him sleep. Then she eased him over so his back was flat on the bed. The combination of the pain reliever, muscle relaxant, bath, and massage had Robbie on the verge of sleep. For once he wished his insomnia would kick in, he didn't want to sleep through this good feeling. Laura said she would go into the office to check on the lab results from last night and then do a few errands. She instructed him not to move until she got back and put the phone within his reach and said to call if he needed her to come back sooner. Otherwise she would return in a couple of hours.


	3. Chapter 3

Laura went into her office to check the lab results from yesterday's body in the woods. Robbie and James had solved the case late last night and she just had to submit the medical findings that nicely substantiated their result. Then she went to talk with Rawbone and arranged for time off the next few days. Having taken care of everything at work, she went home to get her sewing kit, two containers of homemade chicken soup from the freezer, and a bottle of liquid fabric softener. On her way back to Robbie's flat, she stopped at a men's store and carefully chose and purchased a dozen pairs of boxers and matching tee shirts for him. Then she went to another store and picked out 3 pairs of pajamas in different shades of blue. Last night it seemed that Robbie really liked the color blue.

When she got back, she found Robbie just waking up; he said he'd had a lovely nap. Before going to sleep Robbie said he had thought to call Inspector Cather to see if he could fill in tomorrow night as Chief Superintendent Innocent's escort to a chamber music concert. Cather agreed to go as he was always looking for ways to dethrone Inspector Peterson as Innocent's boy wonder. One good thing about the bad back was that it got Robbie out of another evening with Jean Innocent's ladies group. Laura heated up some soup for Robbie and helped him sit up in bed with pillows so he could eat it. She told him that chicken soup was the best medicine. After he finished eating she had him take another dose of the pain medicine and the muscle relaxant pills. Then Robbie said he needed to visit the bathroom if she could help him out of bed. Laura got him out of bed and into the bathroom then left him there to manage on his own for a few minutes. While he was in the bathroom Robbie realized that there was more than one good thing happening because of his bad back and it had nothing to do with getting out of filling in for the reliably indisposed Mr. Innocent. Laura used that time to go back into his wardrobe and get the boxers and tee shirts that needed mending and brought them out to the living room and put them in her bag with the sewing kit.

Robbie called her from the bathroom doorway to help him back to bed. The pain medicine was making him tired again. Laura said he should try to sleep and while he did that she would run a couple of loads of wash for him; she noticed that his dirty laundry bin was more than half full. Usually Robbie would protest all of this help but the alternating pain and effects of the pain medicine had lowered his resistance. And a part of him was starting to realize that it felt good to have someone look after him. Laura added the new boxers, tee shirts, and pajamas she bought for him to the laundry with fabric softener so they would feel good when he was ready to wear them. As the washing machine ran, Laura took out her sewing kit and starting mending the timeworn boxers and tee shirts from Robbie's wardrobe. Val bought these for her husband, she reflected. What would Val think about Laura stitching up the seams and patching holes on them now, she wondered. As she put the repaired items back into the wardrobe while Robbie slept, Laura wished it was as easy to mend Robbie's heart as it was his clothing.

When Robbie woke up he said he was feeling better and very hungry so they got a Chinese takeaway to share. Robbie was able to sit and eat at the table for awhile without too much pain. Then Laura suggested he take another bath before going to bed. He was a bit taken aback that she would suggest doing it twice in one day but didn't protest. After Laura got him into the tub Robbie asked her if she would get his tuxedo out of the coat closet. He was going to let Inspector Cather borrow it for the concert tomorrow night. Robbie said it had just fit when he and Laura had made plans to see The Fairy Queen at Glyndebourne and he had gained weight since then so the last time he went with the Chief Super to a formal event he had to hire one from a fancy dress shop. Cather was the same height as Robbie and not as heavy so he reckoned it should fit him. He told Laura that Cather was going to stop by tomorrow to pick it up; would she make sure everything was in the garment bag and leave it hanging on the back of the front door.

Laura went and found the bag with the tuxedo and wistfully thought about how Robbie would have looked in it if they had actually got to go to the opera together that weekend. It seemed like every time she thought they were getting closer together something happened to prevent it. And the opera had been Robbie's idea which made it even more special. She looked in the bag and realized that the tie was missing. Then she saw a travel bag on the next hanger that had a thin book with the title "The Fairy Queen" sticking out of the pocket. Laura unzipped the travel bag and found the tie. She also happened upon some other things that took her breath away. Inside the bag in the pockets were new packages of toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, soap, and aftershave. In the main compartment were new socks and underclothes. The boxers and tee shirts were not the same as the new ones in Robbie's wardrobe. These were much less grandfatherly than the sort his daughter (she had decided it must be Lyn) had purchased for him. Laura felt a bit guilty looking through his bag but he had asked to her get the tuxedo ready and she had to find the tie. Then she noticed some square foil packages at the bottom of the bag. Laura realized that Robbie had thought they might change the nature of their relationship that weekend (and she had booked two rooms!) and that he never unpacked his bag. She filed both of those things under "significant", and sighed.

While Laura was inspecting the contents of his bag, Robbie was relaxing in the bathtub, the buoyancy of the water helping to relieve the pain and pressure in his back and his heart. He realized he had not thought about Val once last night when he was at Laura's house looking after her. Usually whenever he started to get close to Laura, Robbie would feel guilty and back off. Feeling guilty gave him a connection to Val and without it he had been afraid she would slip away. How would Val feel about Laura looking after him today? Robbie decided that Val would want him to get his back sorted; she would have made sure he kept the physical therapy appointments. So he wouldn't feel guilty about letting Laura take care of his back. When he asked Laura to get the tuxedo out for Cather, Robbie remembered how nervous and excited he had been for the weekend away with her. He had surprised himself by planning the trip and thinking that maybe he and Laura could have a more intimate relationship. Then when a murder investigation disrupted their plans he was disappointed and took it as a sign that it wasn't supposed to happen.

Laura put the tie in the garment bag with the tuxedo and closed up the travel bag. Then she went and helped Robbie out of the bathtub and into a new pair of freshly laundered blue pajama pants. She got him back to bed and started to massage his back. This time he said without prompting that he would like it slow and gentle, maybe a little harder and faster at the end. With the massage successfully completed and another dose of pills dispensed, Laura told Robbie to try and get some sleep and she would be back in the morning. She put the matching blue pajama top on him to keep his back warm overnight. He mumbled a thank-you as he drifted off.

Before she left, Laura fed Robbie's cat, filled his water dish, and changed the litter in the box. She laughed as the cat made a noise that also sounded like a mumbled thank-you.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Laura brought several bags with her over to Robbie's flat. One contained bacon and eggs that she cooked for their breakfast. She had him call Sergeant Hathaway to say he was taking another full day off because of his back and then might work a few half days after that. Robbie said he was feeling a little better and had he known how good she was with live patients he might have consulted her sooner. Laura was glad he seemed relaxed around her; she was afraid that the closeness might be too much for him. Robbie insisted on helping with the dishes and Laura agreed as long as he would rest after. She asked him if he minded her using his shower. There was a broken utility pipe on her street and the main water valve for her neighborhood had to be shut off for several few hours until they could fix it. Robbie said of course and if she preferred a bath she was welcome to do so. It was the least he could offer after all she had done for him. He told her to help herself to anything she needed in the bathroom.

Laura gave Robbie his medicine and got him into bed on his back then took a bag with her into the bathroom. She had planned on just a quick shower but Robbie's massive tub looked so inviting she changed her mind. Laura brought lavender oil to add to Robbie's bath later so she put that and some Epsom Salts in the hot water for herself.

Robbie was lying in bed almost regretting that his back was already a bit better. He would miss Laura coming over to take care of him. The doorbell rang. Robbie didn't want to interrupt Laura (and she wouldn't have heard the bell with the taps running) so he carefully got up and went to the door. It was Hathaway. James said he stopped by to drop off some books for Lewis to read while convalescing. Robbie said to come in and as it was such a large stack of books he asked James to put them on his nightstand. He said that his doctor didn't want him doing any heavy lifting. By this time the taps had been turned off in the bathroom so James didn't hear them as he put the books away. He had noticed Dr. Hobson's car parked nearby and expected to find her here. She obviously wasn't in the flat unless Lewis was hiding her in that ridiculously large bathtub of his. He laughed at the thought of it and decided it must not be her car after all. Robbie told James he wasn't up for company, doctor's orders were that he rest as much as possible. James let himself out of the flat and Robbie headed back to the bedroom.

Meanwhile Laura was luxuriating in Robbie's tub. Lavender was known to relax muscles, relieve nervous tension, warm the heart and steady the emotions and Laura had brought it over because she thought Robbie needed it. Lying there in the bathtub she realized that she needed it too.

As Robbie headed back to the bedroom he tripped on one of Laura's bags, almost toppling over. He kept himself upright but the bag fell down and the contents spilled on the floor. Robbie froze in place as his back hurt from the effort of keeping himself upright. Then he wondered whether he should try and pick up the contents of Laura's bag or wait and apologize to her about it when she got out of the bath and let her pick them up. If it was a purse, he was afraid there might be things he didn't want to see or that Laura wouldn't want him to see. Women's purses were minefields of embarrassing items. This bag seemed too big to be a purse so maybe it was safe to look. As he was debating what to do he noticed a very interesting item. Deciding that he didn't mind risking his back he got down on the floor to start retrieving things. First he picked up a set of keys, a pair of rubber gloves (Laura always carried those), her mobile phone, and an electronic reading device (he wasn't exactly sure what that was called), all rather innocuous items. Then he reached for the object that had caught his interest, a set of handcuffs.

Robbie knew that Laura had made a citizen's arrest a couple of months ago. A flasher had been stalking women in the produce section of the local grocers. Laura caught him in the act and was able to disable and detain him. Did Laura really expect to have that kind of thing happen so often that she would need to carry handcuffs with her? Just as he was about to pick up the handcuffs his cat pounced on them and batted them under the sofa. Robbie was just able to reach them by fully extending his arm, further aggravating his back.

Once he had the handcuffs back in the bag he picked up a small zippered pouch made out of a smooth fabric. Should he open it and check to see if anything was broken before he put it back? He decided against that, fearing what might be inside. Then he gathered up several folders that looked like lab reports for Laura's work and put them in the bag. The last item had been hiding underneath the folders. It was a paperback book. He was about to toss the book in the bag when he noticed the cover.

There was a man on the cover. He was riding a black horse and a woman had been thrown over the pommel of the saddle. The title of the book was "Ride to Rapture". Robbie couldn't believe it; Laura Hobson read romance novels. He had only ever seen her read medical journals and high brow books, the kind Hathaway liked. Val used to read romance novels when the kids were young and Robbie was working late nights. Val said of course she preferred the real thing but they were harmless fun when that wasn't possible. The men on the cover of Val's books always seemed to have long flowing hair. As a teenager Val had fancied a rock star with long hair. She had told Robbie not to worry; no one could ever take his place in her real life. Robbie looked more closely at the man on the cover of Laura's book. He was older than any of men he remembered on Val's books. He had dark hair with a touch of gray and piercing (that's what Val would have called them) blue eyes. His face was weathered, but rather handsome Robbie thought. The woman was petite with blond hair and also had blue eyes. Robbie thought she was lovely.

There was a time when Robbie would have teased Laura about reading a romance novel. Now, thinking about how much she had done for him over the years and most recently to help his aching back, he felt wistful. Was Laura reading it for harmless fun or because she couldn't have the real thing? As he started to put the book back in the bag, something fell out of it. It looked like an appointment card. It's probably for that very popular dentist of hers, he figured. Then Robbie was stricken with the thought that maybe it was for a doctor and something was wrong with her. Knowing he was invading her privacy, he read the card. It was for a psychotherapist, a counselor.

Robbie thought of the night Laura was almost buried alive by twins seeking revenge on their birth mother. Only Laura wasn't their mother and Robbie and James had got there just in time to save her. He could understand her seeing a counselor. Laura had tried to get James to see one after the Zelinsky case, when he had discovered the remains of a murdered child. Robbie didn't have much good to say about counseling or psychotherapy but he knew Laura did, if you found the right practitioner. Robbie hoped that the person Laura saw was one of the good ones. (If he had looked Laura's counselor up on the internet he would have found that the woman specialized in relationship therapy.) Robbie put the card back into the book, the book back onto the bag, and himself into a standing position.

Laura came out of the bathroom, took one look at Robbie and could tell from his posture that his back was worse. She asked him what was he doing out of bed. Robbie said he did some tidying up but realized that wasn't a good idea and he was sorry. Laura gently scolded him for not following doctor's orders and said if he kept this up, she never would get him out of bed and back to work.

Back in bed Robbie realized that Laura would probably notice that the things in her bag had been rearranged. He remembered how well organized her wardrobe was and figured the items in her bag must have been carefully placed. As he was debating whether to fess up or feign ignorance Laura came back into the bedroom laughing. She said that the cat had knocked over her bag, spilling out the contents, and was batting things around. Laura said the cat seemed particularly interested in her set of… keys.


	5. Chapter 5

**No one gets a healing bath in this chapter. I needed one myself. My horse had colic and I had to walk him up and down a snow covered lane for 2 hours waiting for the vet to arrive. My back felt like Robbie's after that. At least the horse made a full recovery!**

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After lunch (chicken soup again) Laura asked Robbie if it was alright if she used his clothes washer, not knowing if the water would be back on at her house when she got home later. She had brought a bag of laundry with her. Robbie said of course so she went and started the machine and then tried to get some work done. Laura had a complicated autopsy report she needed to review and sat down to read. The noise from the washer made it difficult to concentrate so she went in the bedroom to ask Robbie if he minded if she came in there to read. He said sure, he was planning to read himself; James had come while she was in the bath and brought him several books. Robbie wondered if Laura was going to read the book he found in her bag.

Laura returned with her e-reader, not the paperback copy of "Ride to Rapture". She looked at the stack of books James left and asked Robbie which one he planned to read. He had quickly studied the titles while she was out of the room and one that was called "Master and Commander" by Patrick O'Brian had caught his eye. First off, he liked the title, and then he recalled that James found books by Patrick O'Brian on Laura's shelves the day they hid out at her house to avoid the press during the Miranda Thornton case. So he told her that was the book he wanted and wondered if she would be happy that he chose something by an author she liked. Laura handed him the book and said it was a sea story that took place during Britain's war with Napoleon. Britain's ship, the H.M.S. Sophie, was an old, slow, brig and would battle a mighty Spanish frigate. Well, Robbie felt like an old, slow, brig so he hoped the Sophie fared well in the end. He politely asked Laura what she was reading and she told him she had to review a report on a case of suspected takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Robbie opened his book and Laura sat in the bedroom chair to read.

Robbie kept glancing over at Laura while she was reading; she seemed to be very interested in takotsubo cardiomyopathy. He couldn't concentrate on his book and turned a page every few minutes at what he hoped were appropriate intervals. Knowing that Cather was coming over later to pick up the tuxedo made Robbie think back to the time he packed his bag for The Fairy Queen weekend. He had bought the tickets so Laura offered to book the hotel. At the time he wondered if she would book one room or two. At first he had meant them to go as friends but as it got closer to the weekend he began to think about what it would be like to have a romantic getaway with her. So he decided to be prepared in case that was what she wanted. Robbie remembered being nervous that he wouldn't know what she liked. He still didn't know what she liked and thought if he could get a look at that romance novel she was reading maybe he'd find out.

Laura was also having trouble concentrating. She looked over at Robbie intently reading "Master and Commander". At least with the e-reader she didn't have to pretend to turn pages. She couldn't stop thinking about yesterday when she discovered that Robbie was prepared for intimacy on their canceled opera weekend. He must have been disappointed when he found out she had booked two rooms. Then the buzzer from the washer sounded and she left the room to go get the laundry out. When she came back she told Robbie that there were some things she left hanging to dry on the shower rod and the side of the tub. She assured him that she would remove them before it was time for his bath.

Robbie felt a sudden urge to visit the bathroom. As she helped him out of bed, Laura realized that every time he held her arm he spread his fingers apart in order to touch as much of her as possible. She sadly concluded that he must be touch starved and resolved to do something about that. Laura deposited Robbie into the bathroom then heard the doorbell.

Inspector Archie Cather was at door having arrived to pick up the tuxedo. If he was surprised that Dr. Laura Hobson answered the door he didn't show it. Cather was a good looking man about 15 years younger than Robbie. He and Laura got along well professionally and she wasn't worried about him finding her at Robbie's flat. Cather was a man of few words and didn't gossip. They chatted briefly, Cather telling Laura that he liked chamber music and was looking forward to the concert. He said to thank Robbie for suggesting he fill in as Superintendent Innocent's escort and for the loan of the tuxedo. After Laura shut the door, Cather stood on the front steps and thought that maybe there was something to the rumor about Lewis and Hobson being more than just friends. Cather hoped it was true, he liked both of them. He also knew that Inspector Alan Peterson fancied Laura Hobson. Cather had no intention of telling Peterson that he found Hobson and Lewis together, let the cocky sod think he had a chance with her and then suffer defeat. Then Cather smiled as he wondered if another rumor he had heard was true, that there was something going on between Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent and Sergeant James Hathaway. He bet there were a lot of people who would cheer for that. He couldn't avoid hearing rumors but he never repeated them.

While Laura was at the door with Cather, Robbie was in the bathroom trying to avoid the sight of Laura's laundry. His resolve not to look was waning. Perhaps he should just check and make sure nothing had fallen on the floor. Robbie looked at the shower rod and saw a few blue items hanging to dry. Then he looked at the tub and saw similar things in black and purple. Had she been wearing any of those yesterday when she was at his flat? Was she wearing anything like that now, and if so, what color? Robbie realized he shouldn't be thinking about this and blamed the pain medication and decided to do what he came in there for. After washing his hands, instead of reaching for a towel he grabbed one of Laura's bras hanging from the shower rod. He couldn't believe he just did that. Hathaway would have said it was a Freudian slip. Robbie tried to hang the bra back up but as he was trying to straighten it on the shower rod, his back suddenly had a spasm and he lost his balance and fell against the side of the bathtub on top of Laura's laundry. While painfully extricating himself from the tub he displaced several items. Robbie realized there was no way he was going to be able to fix this to look like nothing had happened.

Laura was headed to the bathroom to see what was causing all the racket. Robbie was just about to explain when the cat, Monty, came sauntering out. Laura looked in the bathroom, saw the scattered laundry and figured Monty had done it. Robbie was suddenly very tired and said he was going to take a nap. Laura looked in on him an hour later, saw that he was awake and asked if he needed any shopping done. She would go out tomorrow and pick up whatever he wanted and handed him a pad of paper and a pen to make a list of what he needed. Robbie stared at the blank paper for a moment thinking about what he wanted or needed. There was only one thing to put on the list. On the first line of the paper he wrote:

Laura


	6. Chapter 6

While Robbie was working on his shopping list, Laura was in the kitchen making lasagne. She had brought all the ingredients with her in a bag, along with some garlic bread that just needed to be heated up. When she asked Robbie yesterday if he would like her to make lasagne he said yes but that she would need to bring whatever pans and other items she needed as his kitchen wasn't very well stocked. He told Laura that when Lyn moved north with her boyfriend and set up her own apartment he gave her most of the things from Val's kitchen and had never replaced them. After she got their dinner in the oven Laura went back in the bedroom to get the shopping list.

Robbie had fallen asleep again. He still had the pen in his hand and the pad was on the bed. She picked up the pad and saw that the only thing he had written was her name at the top. Laura smiled and thought that was silly, she knew the list was for her. Unless…Was it possible that he meant she was what he wanted and needed? She knew he needed her to be his good friend but he never showed any indication that he wanted her. Then she realized he might have thought he wanted her when he packed his bag for The Fairy Queen weekend. After the trip was canceled he never expressed that kind of interest again. Now when she asked him to make a list of what he wanted and needed the only thing he wrote was her name. Was this the pain medicine talking? Laura tore the page off the pad, folded it carefully and put it in her pocket. Monty was weaving in and out between her legs. He had batted the last of his toys under a cabinet today and was looking for something to play with. Laura took the next sheet of paper off the pad, wadded it up into a ball and put it on the floor for him then went back to the kitchen.

Robbie was dreaming that he and Laura were in Glyndebourne for the weekend to see The Fairy Queen. The performance was wonderful and they both enjoyed it. More importantly they enjoyed each other. Laura had booked two rooms but they only used one. And they used more than one of the foil packets Robbie had packed in his bag. He discovered that not only did he want her, she wanted him too. Robbie woke up with a smile on his face. He thought about the shopping list he made earlier. Laura was the only thing on his list and he would make sure that she understood what that meant.

Then Robbie felt like something was clawing at him inside his head. He had betrayed Val! Even though it was just a dream, he was awash with guilt. He remembered Hathaway once saying that Shakespeare described guilt as "life's fitful fever". Instead of feeling feverish he was chilled on the inside. Robbie couldn't show Laura that shopping list now, not until he could do it without feeling that he had betrayed his wife. He heard Monty playing with something on the floor and looked down to see him batting around a balled up piece of paper. Robbie checked the pad Laura had given him; the page where he had written her name was gone. Somehow the cat had got hold of it.

Laura came in to tell Robbie that the lasagne would be ready in ten minutes and planned to use that time to talk to him about the list. She saw his pained expression and knew that it wasn't the right time. Laura had seen that look before, the one that revealed his unresolved grief for Val. Instead she asked him if she should make her best guess about what food items to get when she went shopping and he gratefully nodded. Both of them were momentarily distracted as Monty knocked his paper toy under the wardrobe, as if he was scoring a football goal.

Laura got Robbie up and they went into the kitchen to eat. They both enjoyed the lasagne and the garlic bread and Robbie politely thanked her for making it. As he started to think about how nice it was to sit here with Laura in his kitchen, he felt the stab of guilt that usually attacked him whenever he started getting close to her. Laura said that she liked to cook but rarely had the time. She thought that home cooked meals were much better than takeaways and the pierce and ping frozen meals. Robbie silently thought about all the pierce and ping meals he ate since Val died. He resisted learning to cook because doing so would be admitting that Val was really gone and would never again be there to prepare meals for him.

Laura noticed that while Robbie seemed to be enjoying the food, he was still sad. She knew that something must have reminded him of Val and remained silent for a few minutes. Then she asked him if he would like to try and work a half day tomorrow. Robbie said yes he would, thinking that being busy at work was one of the ways to get his mind off his grief. Then he surprised himself; In spite of his current despair about Val he did have a pang of regret that it would mean not spending the entire day with Laura. After exchanging concerned looks they worked together to clear away the dishes and tidy up the kitchen. Then Laura said she would pick up her laundry and fill the bathtub for him. As she went to walk away Robbie put his hand on her arm and thanked her for everything she had done for him.

Laura felt his hand on her arm and turned to look him in the eye. Sometimes it seemed they had entire conversations this way without either of them saying a word. She waited until Robbie hesitantly took his hand back to head into the bathroom to get her laundry. Then she started the taps and added both the Epsom Salts and lavender oil to the tub and helped Robbie get in. Laura went into the bedroom to get him some fresh pajamas, then took the pad of paper out to the kitchen. Robbie had said she could look in the cupboards and the refrigerator to help figure out the shopping. She concluded that at the flat he only consumed coffee, cold cereal, biscuits, pierce and ping meals, beer, brandy, and milk. Only the cereal and milk needed to be replenished. She would suggest getting some fruit to go with it and ask him what he liked.

Meanwhile Robbie was in the bath letting the hot water reinvigorate both his weary muscles and his mind. He found that the tub was a good place to think about all the things Laura had done for him and how much he cared about her. He thought about their years of friendship and of the unsteady and painfully slow progress they made towards the possibility of a more intimate relationship. And then there were the setbacks. Anyone watching them would be frustrated and wonder why they didn't just declare their true feelings. Robbie was held back by a sense of loyalty to his late wife. He had felt that by being with Laura he would betray Val. Or did he? He hadn't had that feeling when they planned to go away for the weekend to see The Fairy Queen. It came back when the trip had to be canceled. And something was different about these last couple of days. He was starting to feel that it might be possible to leave the past behind until he had that intense reaction to his dream. When Val died he went from living to existing. Now he wanted to live again.

Laura came in and helped him out of the tub and into another new pair of blue pajama pants. She got him into bed lying on his stomach, added massage oil to her hands and started applying alternating levels of concentrated pressure to the area of his back where he suffered the muscle spasms. Robbie immediately felt two things, the lessening of his physical pain, and the need to resolve his feelings of guilt and betrayal.

How would he do that, he wondered. Then as he felt Laura's strong hands steering him towards recovery, the answer came to him. He vowed to do something he swore he would never do again, see a counselor.

By the time Laura was done, Robbie had fallen asleep. She covered him up, fed the cat, and let herself out of the flat to go home. She planned to stop by in the morning to help him get ready for a half day of work.


	7. Chapter 7

Robbie woke up about two hours after Laura left. His insomnia had finally trumped the pain medicine and he knew more sleep was impossible. Robbie picked up "Master and Commander" and figured he would read over the chapters skipped when he was just turning pages earlier, in case Hathaway would spring a test. In the first couple of chapters Robbie found that there were more politics on a ship than at the police department. And then he learned this was no ordinary sea story when in Chapter 3 a sailor is condemned to hang for sexual misconduct with …he decided he could skip some pages after all. Robbie thumbed ahead until he found the chapter where against all odds the H.M.S. Sophie battles and captures the mighty Spanish frigate Cacafuego. That victory fueled his hope about fighting his own battle and winning.

After a night of little sleep, a lot of thinking, and some reading, Robbie's back was much better. He was able to get himself out of bed, to the bathroom, and on into the kitchen where he made coffee. Laura arrived and asked how he was feeling. Robbie said his back was much better and would she like some coffee. Laura said she had tea when she first got up; she preferred her coffee later in the morning although she usually got so busy at work it would get forgotten.

Regretfully Robbie felt he could get dressed on his own so he retreated to the bedroom alone. A few minutes later he called Laura and said he needed help after all. When she entered the bedroom Laura saw Robbie holding three ties. He couldn't decide which one to wear and asked her to choose. She picked the three color blue stripe one and then tied it for him. Robbie said thanks, he always hated selecting a tie, never knew what matched his suit and shirt.

Laura had Robbie take only a half dose of his pain medicine since he was going to work. She told him not to sit in a chair too long and to lie down on the floor for twenty minutes if he got tired of standing. Laura dropped him off at work. James would bring him home around 1 while she went shopping.

Robbie caught up on some paperwork and after updating him on the current cases James asked if he had started reading any of the books. Robbie said he had started "Master and Commander" by Patrick O'Brian. He braced himself for a quiz and instead Hathaway started pontificating "a brig is a sailing vessel with two square rigged masts…"

While letting the clever clogs sergeant expound his knowledge of British navel maneuvers during the Napoleonic wars, Robbie carefully lowered himself to the floor. Lying flat on his back did relieve the pressures caused by standing and sitting. Even when she wasn't around, Laura made him feel better. James looked at him on the floor and told him he should see another doctor about his back as he wondered who had driven his boss to work that morning. Just as Hathaway was telling him that he was sure Dr. Hobson would take a look at his back, Inspector Archie Cather appeared in the doorway. Robbie wondered if Cather would spill the fact that he saw Laura at his flat yesterday. Instead Cather made a comment about Robbie being old, but not dead. Inspector Alan Peterson edged past Cather and entered the office to tell them that he was heading up a task force on domestic terrorism and that the Chief Superintendent requested that they liaise with one another at a meeting that afternoon at 1:30.

No one responded to Peterson's announcement; they already knew about it. Because he found Peterson's boasting irritating and he knew this would irk him, Robbie thanked Cather for stepping in and escorting the Chief Super to the concert last night. Cather said, because he also knew it would irk Peterson, that they had a lovely evening and he enjoyed getting to know her on a personal level. Then Peterson said, because he knew it would irk Lewis, that he had to go discuss some forensic results with Dr. Hobson. After listening to that exchange between the three inspectors Hathaway felt like the only grownup in the room.

James dropped Robbie off home around 1. James didn't stay because he had to return to the station for the 1:30 meeting. Robbie thanked his bad back for getting himself out of that. Robbie figured he had at least an hour until Laura got there, enough time to start his plan of action. He took out his phone book (Robbie was one of the few people who still used an actual phone book) to look up the number of the counselor that he found on the card in Laura's book, Sage Corbett. He figured Laura would have chosen a good one for herself however it would be "seriously weird" as Lyn would say to use the same counselor. Robbie didn't know how to pick a counselor for himself so he thought that he would call Sage Corbett's office and ask if they could recommend someone, a man perhaps. Robbie wondered if it was acceptable to ask for a man, if he wouldn't be accused of discrimination.

He found Sage Corbett in the phone book and saw that she was a "relationship and couples" counselor. "Laura's in a relationship", he gasped! Panic flooded through him like ice water in his veins; he had waited too long. Someone else had "snapped her up" as Hathaway warned him. Who could it be? Not Franco, she had told him that was over and he believed her. Cather? Robbie had heard rumors about Cather and if they were true Laura wasn't Cather's type. Did she still think that Hathaway was dishy? Peterson? Anybody but Peterson…

The thought of someone else being with Laura made him even more determined to get out of the past and finally be able to tell her how he felt about her. He thought it can't be too serious a relationship if she is spending this much time helping me. He clung to that fact as proof that he might still have a chance. He made his call and explained he was looking for a grief counselor, preferably a man. The receptionist said there was a colleague in the same office who would be suitable. There was an opening tomorrow afternoon due to a cancellation. Robbie said he would take it and wrote down the counselor's name and the time of the appointment.

John Watson 2 PM

Robbie was now in better spirits, he had started to move forward. He joked to himself that if Sherlock Holmes could confide in John Watson, so could he.

Laura arrived with the shopping, milk, Robbie's brand of cereal, and a bag of frozen blueberries. Yesterday when she asked him what kind of fruit he would like, Robbie said he didn't buy it because he always forgot to eat it. Laura suggested he take a handful of blueberries out of the freezer to put on his cereal, that they only needed 30 seconds in the microwave to thaw. Robbie thanked her and Laura asked whether he minded chicken soup for lunch again or did he want something else. He said the chicken soup seemed to make him feel better. Laura said it was known to act as an anti inflammatory by stopping the immune system from overreacting and suppressed the migration of white blood cells to speed healing, although she thought the benefits were most likely psychosomatic. She took a container out of the freezer and started heating it up.

Over lunch Laura told Robbie she got a call today asking her to come up to London to consult on a case. She would leave early tomorrow morning and be gone two nights and could arrange for a nurse to come in and help him with his bath the two evenings she was away. She only agreed to go because he seemed so much better this morning but if he wanted her to stay…

Well of course Robbie did want her to stay…but told her he was sure they must really need her (he knew that feeling) and that he could manage. He would take the phone number of a nursing service to call if he needed help. They looked at each other and both said with their eyes, "I will miss you".

Robbie took a nap after lunch while Laura studied some lab results. Neither was very hungry in the evening so they ate cereal with blueberries. After, Robbie went into the bathroom, said he would start the taps running for his bath. He called Laura and said there was something she needed to come see. Not knowing what to expect Laura went into the bathroom and saw Robbie pointing at the bathtub. The cat was stretched out in the tub on his back, sleeping.

* * *

**Monty thought this chapter was rather dull so he figured he would go take a nap in the tub, without water of course. **


	8. Chapter 8

Laura picked Monty up out of the tub and took him in the kitchen and gave him some extra treats since he had been so good lately. Robbie was going to try getting in and out of the bathtub on his own while Laura was on hand to see if he could manage the next two nights when she would be in London. He was able to get himself into the tub and felt some regret that he didn't need Laura's help. Robbie started thinking about his appointment with John Watson tomorrow. He didn't want to tell Laura about it in case it turned out to be a fine mess. He thought about the one other time he saw a counselor. It was after Val died and Chief Superintendent Strange insisted he go. Robbie wanted to talk about how bloody marvelous Valerie was and the counselor wanted him to talk about his feelings. Robbie hoped that John Watson wouldn't expect the same.

Laura brought him a pair of blue pajama pants. She watched while Robbie got himself out of the tub and made a few suggestions to make it easier and less strain on his back while doing it alone. He got himself dried off and into the pajamas. This time after he lay down on the bed Laura's massage was very slow and gentle, taking longer than usual as if she wanted it to last while she was away. She thought Robbie had fallen asleep and softly spoke her thoughts aloud, "I wish someone would rub my back for me…"

Laura headed home to pack for her trip to London. Robbie, still awake, thought about Laura's wish. He wanted to be the one to fulfill all her wishes. To do that he needed to get his back, head, and heart all sorted. Laura had his back well in hand; he hoped John Watson could help with his head and heart. Unable to sleep, he picked up "Master and Commander". Buoyed by the previous victory he expected more great things for the Sophie. Instead though, she was captured by four French warships. Well, at least it took four to overtake her, he thought. The captain and crew of the Sophie took their victory for granted and Robbie wondered if maybe he had taken Laura for granted, thinking she would always be there for him, ready for whatever relationship he could handle. Now he would prepare, make himself seaworthy, and wait for her.

In the morning Laura called Robbie and he said he was already up and dressed. She asked him what he was wearing, not meaning what some people might think she intended. He told her which suit and shirt he had on and she suggested which tie would go well with them. Robbie wondered how she knew what all his ties looked like. Robbie wished her well on her trip and was glad she planned to phone him this evening.

Since he was still taking a half dose of pain medicine, Robbie had James pick him up and drive him to work. He would have to find other arrangements for the afternoon as his sergeant was attending an all day training on "Technology and Modern Policing". Archie Cather agreed to give Robbie a lift to his appointment later. Robbie knew he wouldn't have to worry about Cather prying; Archie kept himself to himself.

Robbie didn't eat lunch; he had been snacking on semi frozen blueberries all morning. He was glad James wasn't around to comment. Cather dropped him off 15 minutes early for his appointment. Robbie stood in the waiting room not wanting to risk sitting in the uncomfortable looking chairs. He was hoping that John Watson wouldn't spew the usual psychobabble mumbo jumbo that Robbie attributed to counseling.

Finally it was time to go in and see John Watson. Robbie explained about his bad back and asked if it was all right if he remained standing. John Watson said of course and would Robbie explain why he was here, what did he hope to accomplish in therapy. Robbie said he was unable to deal with his grief over his wife's death. There was someone he would like to move forward with, someone he cared about but every time he got close to her he felt like he was betraying his wife, who he still loved and always would. Robbie needed to know if he would ever be able to love someone else. John Watson nodded and said, "Tell me about your wife".

Robbie spent a full hour telling this complete stranger how bloody marvelous Valerie was. He talked about their marriage, the kids, their life together and even conceded that she wasn't perfect, that they had tough times as well as good ones, although they were mostly good. Robbie admitted that he used to ask his boss Inspector Morse if he could work overtime to get out of helping Val with her decorating projects around the house. He talked about the things Val did that were funny, loving, and irritating. When Robbie was finished it was time to end the session. John Watson didn't say anything else except to ask Robbie to come back next week and tell him about the person he wanted to move forward with. "Laura", Robbie said, "her name is Laura".

While waiting outside for Cather to pick him up, Robbie thought about how cathartic that was, talking about Val, from the start to the finish of their life together. It was like packaging it up into a beautiful box that could be put away but still treasured. Robbie recalled how little John Watson actually said and thought, the man's a bloody genius.

Robbie was exhausted when he got home. He slept for a couple of hours then got up and heated himself some of Laura's chicken soup from the freezer. He shared some chicken pieces with Monty and then did the washing up.

He thought about starting a new book now that he was finished with Master and Commander and went to look at the stack James had left for him. He scanned the titles, Moby Dick, The Da Vinci Code, The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes, The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth (now there was a man who had no trouble moving on), then he thought of what he wanted to read. Robbie went out to the front closet and found his bag that he had packed for the weekend away with Laura to see The Fairy Queen. In the pocket was a thin book with the text and lyrics of the opera. Looking at the bag reminded him of what might have happened had they not had to cancel. Robbie thought about why he never unpacked; he guessed that part of him always wanted to be ready to go somewhere with Laura.

Robbie decided that after Laura called, he would read The Fairy Queen while he was in the bath.

Laura had just arrived at her hotel in London after a long day of autopsy consultations. She called Robbie and asked how he was feeling. He assured her his back was getting better and that he was following doctor's orders. Robbie asked how her day went and she said it was productive although exhausting. Her hotel room had a whirlpool tub and she was looking forward to using it.

After saying goodnight to Robbie, Laura went to get something out of her bag to read in the tub.

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**Monty says thank-you to MHC1987 for suggesting he get extra treats. **


	9. Chapter 9

**The text and lyrics from Henry Purcell's Opera, The Fairy Queen, were adapted from William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream**

* * *

Robbie got undressed and laid a towel on the side of the tub in case he got his hands or the book wet; he wasn't used to reading in the bathtub. He laid the book on a shelf that he would be able to reach after he got in. Robbie turned on the taps and added the Epsom Salts and lavender oil, just like Laura would, and carefully got in the tub. After he turned the taps off, he reached for his book. He started reading The Fairy Queen. Certain passages seemed particularly relevant and made him think of Laura.

Laura put her book on a rack by the tub. She turned on the water and the whirlpool jets, got undressed and into the tub. She started reading The Fairy Queen. Certain passages seemed particularly relevant and made her think of Robbie.

Robbie was reading this:

"**Come, come, come let us leave the town,**

**And in some lonely place**

**Where crowds and noise were never known**

**Resolve to spend our days.**

**In pleasant shades upon the grass**

**At night ourselves we'll lay;**

**Our days in harmless sport shall pass,**

**Thus time shall slide away."**

While Laura was reading:

"**If love's a sweet passion, why does it torment?**

**If a bitter, oh tell me whence comes my content?**

**Since I suffer with pleasure, why should I complain,**

**Or grieve at my fate when I know 'tis in vain?**

**Yet so pleasing the pain is, so soft is the dart**

**That at once it both wounds me**

**And tickles my heart."**

Robbie continued reading:

"**I press her hand gently, **

**Look languishing down,**

**And by passionate silence **

**I make my love known**

**But oh! How I'm blest when so kind **

**She does prove**

**By some willing mistake to discover her love,**

**When in striving to hide, she reveals all her flame,**

**And our eyes tell each other **

**What neither dares name."**

While Laura was reading:

"**A thousand, thousand ways we'll find**

**To entertain the hours;**

**No two shall e'er be known so kind,**

**No life so blest as ours.**

**But let's merrily, merrily play**

**And kiss and kiss the sweet time away."**

Robbie ended his reading with:

"**Should you give me a score**

'**Twould not lessen your store,**

**Then bid me cheerfully kiss **

**And take my fill of your bliss."**

Laura ended her reading with:

"**No, no, no, no, no; no kissing at all;**

**I'll not kiss till I kiss you for good and all."**

"Goodnight Laura", Robbie whispered.

"Goodnight Robbie", Laura whispered.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank-you for the lovely reviews of this story. I am new at this and your nice comments make it less intimidating. It was a guest review that encouraged me to continue after the first chapter. And I appreciate all of you who continue reading.**

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The next morning Robbie and Laura spoke by phone; both said they slept unusually well the night before. Robbie was still in bed while was Laura was on the way to meet with her London colleagues. She said that after work they were taking her out to dinner and she would call him after that.

As he got up and dressed, Robbie randomly selected a tie. Somewhere in the recesses of his memory he could hear Hathaway quoting Oscar Wilde, "A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life". He smiled as he thought of Laura's detailed awareness of his ties. Robbie's back wasn't hurting him too much and he thought he would skip the pain medicine this morning so he would be able to drive himself to work. Laura had suggested he cut back when he was ready. He was starting to like working half days and it got him thinking that maybe retirement wouldn't be so bad after all.

After an uneventful morning at the police station Robbie went home to his flat and heated up some chicken soup for lunch. He thought about Laura making sure he would have plenty of chicken soup on hand. Not that he thought you should keep score but it felt like Laura was always doing more things for him that he did for her.

After lunch he got flat on his back in bed and took the pad of paper and the pen that was on the nightstand. He intended to make a list of things he could do for Laura, just as a friend of course. There was still the matter of her being in a relationship with someone. Laura wasn't a person who seemed to need much help. He thought about the things he already did for her, opening doors, standing up when she came into a room, and helping her carry her equipment. He had seen her rebuff other men who tried to do those things and he was happy about that. He also insisted on paying whenever they went out to eat or for a drink. They had a joke between them that she never had any cash, but she always had cash. Robbie was old fashioned and thought he should always pay even if she invited him.

Robbie tried to think of other things that women needed men for. They often asked for help opening the tight lids on jars so he wrote "lids" on the list. His mother had often joked that she kept his father around to have someone to kill bugs, so he wrote "bugs" on the list. Then he realized that with her strong hands Laura wouldn't need help opening jars nor would she be afraid of bugs so he put lines through both items on his list. Not feeling very productive he decided to choose a new book to read. He saw one book at the bottom of the stack that he hadn't noticed before, "Fifty Shades of Grey". He thought that must be Hathaway's idea of a joke, a book about getting old. Robbie selected "Moby Dick". That was one of those books everyone thinks they've read but probably haven't.

Robbie read for about an hour then heard the doorbell. Archie Cather had stopped by to return the tuxedo. As soon as Archie got inside the flat, Monty headed straight for him and started weaving in and out between his legs. That reminded Robbie that the cat's toys were hidden behind a cabinet that he hadn't been able to move because of his back so he asked Archie if he wouldn't mind doing it. The area behind the cabinet contained several cat toys and something else. Robbie spied the zippered pouch made out of a smooth fabric that had been in Laura's bag, the one he tripped over a couple days ago, and the one Monty later got into. The zipper was open and several items had spilled out. While Archie gathered up the cat toys and brought them to Monty, Robbie took an empty shopping bag and picked up the rest. Relieved to see that the items looked like the usual small makeup containers that he had seen Val and Lyn carry, Robbie picked them up. Then he reached for the pouch so he could return the items. There was something still in the pouch, a neatly folded white handkerchief. As he was about to start filling the pouch something about the handkerchief caught his attention. In the corner was some familiar looking embroidery. A couple of years back, Lyn was learning to embroider and she had presented him with 3 handkerchiefs that she had carefully stitched his initials into. He only had 2 of those handkerchiefs in his wardrobe now. This was his handkerchief.

Archie said thank-you again for the loan of the tuxedo and let himself out. Robbie had forgotten that he was even there.

Robbie remembered exactly when he had given Laura this handkerchief. It was the night she discovered that her friend Ligeia Willard was the murder victim at the crime scene she attended. Robbie found Laura sitting in the back of an ambulance with a blanket and he climbed in to talk to her as a friend, not a police officer. She was fighting back tears and he had handed her his handkerchief. Under the circumstances he never expected her to return it although it wouldn't have surprised him if she had. He didn't like to think about that case as Laura was nearly killed and their friendship had been tested. Robbie often thought that the events of that case may have kept them from trying again for a weekend away.

Laura must have put the handkerchief in the bag when she fixed her makeup before meeting her friend Ellen for dinner,to tell her about Ligeia. He looked at it again and realized that the handkerchief was laundered, ironed, and neatly folded. So she hadn't just put it in there and forgotten about it. Robbie wasn't sure what it meant, Laura keeping the handkerchief. His immediate problem was how to return it to her without her knowing he found it.

After eating some cereal with blueberries, Robbie returned to Moby Dick. There was something near the beginning he wanted to read again. "Let the most absent minded of men be plunged in his deepest reveries-stand that man on his legs, set his feet a-going, and he will infallibly lead you to water." He would have to ask Hathaway what that meant. Robbie fell asleep for a few hours and when he woke up, decided to get in the bath.

Robbie realized that Laura might be calling soon. He brought his mobile phone into the bathroom with him. Was it safe to talk on the phone while you were in the bath, he wondered? He didn't want to electrocute himself or damage any body parts so he left the phone on the counter while he got undressed and let the taps run. As he put his dirty clothes in the laundry bin he realized that he had been carefully folding them ever since Laura had done his laundry a few days ago. He smiled as he saw the neat stacks waiting to be washed.

Laura had returned to her hotel after an early dinner with her colleagues. She undressed and got into the whirlpool tub. Her mobile phone was waterproof; she had it with her at crime scenes and they were often in or near water. She called Robbie. He turned the taps off and they talked briefly about the events of the day for each of them. Robbie said his back was continuing to improve and asked how she was feeling. Laura said her feet hurt after two long days of standing on cement floors and that she would check in with him when she got home the next day.

Robbie did not disconnect the call after he said goodnight to Laura. He got into the bathtub.

Laura did not disconnect the call after she said goodnight to Robbie. She put the phone down on a shelf and continued to enjoy her bath.


	11. Chapter 11

**My niece is reading this story and she says it needs more angst. This is my attempt to add a bit more. It's not really my cup of tea though; I just want everyone to be happy.**

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Laura had a short meeting early in the morning and then she was headed back to Oxford. The battery on her phone had run down overnight. She wouldn't have a chance to charge it up until she got home.

Robbie charged his phone up while he ate cereal and blueberries for breakfast. He called Laura and got her voice mail. He left her a message saying he was feeling pretty good and planned to work the whole day.

Laura got home and unpacked while charging up her phone. Finding the message that Robbie was working all day, she went into work herself for a few hours. Robbie called her and asked if she was free to come over after work and share a takeaway curry with him, he would pick it up on his way home. Laura agreed; she was looking forward to seeing Robbie and there was something that went missing at his flat and she was hoping to recover it.

When Robbie got home he put the takeaway in the oven to stay warm until Laura got there. Then he put her makeup pouch that also contained his handkerchief, on a small table just inside the door to the flat. After Laura arrived and said hello to Robbie, she saw her makeup pouch, picked it up and put it in her purse. Robbie pretended not to notice.

As they shared the curry, Laura told him about the cases she was asked to consult on in London. Robbie told her about the case he and Hathaway were currently working on. They acted like an old married couple discussing their day. Robbie told Laura he had started reading Moby Dick; he seemed to be drawn to books set in the sea.

After they ate, Robbie's daughter called. Laura said to give Lyn her love and took her own phone and went into the bedroom to catch up on messages and emails in order to give him some privacy. Robbie got the latest news on his grandson and Lyn wanted to know how his back was. Robbie said it was much better; he was being taken care of by a very good doctor, the best.

Laura sat down on the chair in the bedroom with her phone and responded to several messages. When she no longer heard Robbie on the phone she got up. That's when Laura noticed that Robbie had written something on the pad of paper. Thinking that maybe he actually got around to making a shopping list she picked it up and read it. Laura saw the words "lids" and "bugs". Both were crossed out. She made a mental note to check the dosage on his pain medication.

Robbie said he was going to take his bath and reluctantly told Laura that he could manage on his own. Laura said she would wait for him to finish then she would massage his back. She thought he would need it after two days going without. Laura reminded Robbie to take his muscle relaxant and pain medication. Robbie handed her the remote control for the television in case she wanted to watch something while she waited.

Laura seldom watched television but she was tired and decided that lounging in front of the TV would be a nice change from work. She found a popular British period drama series on and settled for that. It was the first time she had watched the show and was so engrossed in figuring out who was who and noticing that the valet was rather good looking that she didn't hear Robbie come out of the bathroom.

Robbie saw her watching television and went into the bedroom. While he was in the bath he thought about things he could do for Laura to show her that he cared about her and paid attention to her wants and needs. He found his did he best thinking in the tub and he already had two items for his list and wanted to write them down before he forgot. Robbie picked up the pad of paper from the nightstand, tore off the page with "lids" and "bugs" crossed out, and started a new list with his first two ideas. He didn't want Laura to see the list until he was ready to put his plan into action and he couldn't do that until he had no longer had any feelings that moving on would be a betrayal of Val. He needed to hide the list someplace where Laura wouldn't find it and looked around the room. Then his eyes settled on a safe spot, Val's picture. He picked up the frame and slid the list in behind her picture, not finding anything extraordinary about doing so.

Robbie went out of the bedroom and saw that Laura was still intently watching television, some show set in a big manor house. He watched for a few minutes as the action moved to an outdoor party and saw a woman run up to a man she was obviously besotted with and kiss him passionately. The man seemed annoyed because they were in a public place and he shrugged her off. Laura, not realizing that Robbie was nearby said, "he should have kissed her back".

Monty chose this moment to divert their attentions to his empty food dish. Laura turned off the television and filled the cat's dish while Robbie poured water and ice cubes into his drinking bowl. Monty liked his water cold, unless it was for a bath.

They went into the bedroom so Laura could massage his back. She had missed doing this and put as much vigor into it as she thought Robbie could take. Robbie was fighting sleep and eventually lost. Laura covered him up and was about to leave when she noticed moonlight coming through the window lighting up Val's picture.

She went towards the light and stood looking at the photo of Val. She thought about how life is not fair and death is not just. Like death, survival could also be an accident. For Dr. Hobson death was a statistic to be analyzed, studied, and reported. She had to maintain professional detachment, had to think about death scientifically not tragically, or she would never be able to do her job. Val's death was a tragedy, a catastrophe for Robbie and their children. They had to endure the endless time of her never coming back. And what about Val herself? She had lost years with her husband and children and would never get to know her grandson. Val was the one who lost the most.

Laura let herself out of the flat and got into her car and found she wasn't able to drive home just yet. She sat there for a few minutes, then opened her purse, unzipped the pouch, and pulled out Robbie's handkerchief.

Inside the flat, Robbie dreamed that he saw Laura looking at Val's picture and she was crying.


	12. Chapter 12

**After some angst we are allowed a bit of progress.**

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Robbie woke up disturbed by the image of Laura crying and wasn't sure if it was a dream or real. He decided that moving Val's picture out of the bedroom had to be added to his list. Then he realized this was something that couldn't wait; he had to do it now. If she didn't feel welcome in this room then she wouldn't feel welcome in his life.

Robbie created a group of family pictures on one shelf of the bookcase in the front room. He put up one photo of Val alone (the one from the bedroom), one of the two of them, one of Lyn and her partner Tim, and a school photo of each of the kids. The duplicate pictures of Val he would save for his grandchildren. He added the newest picture to the group, the one of Robbie with his grandson. The pictures were all easily visible but not in the direct line of the TV. Satisfied that he was still honoring Val's place in his life and their family, and letting Laura know that he no longer slept with Val at night, Robbie went to get ready for work.

He called Laura. Robbie wanted to hear her voice and make sure she was okay. She said it was going to be a day off work for her, she had made plans. Not sure he wanted to know how she was going to spend the day or with who, Robbie wished her well and rang off.

Laura's plans were at the Garsington Equine Center. She would go for a ride and then spend time volunteering to bathe and groom some of the horses. Laura used to ask for one of the younger spirited horses when she had a chance to ride. The last several times though she no longer fancied the wilder ones and even tried some of the old plodders before settling on a new favorite. His name was Cam, short for Camouflage, and was a just bit above the average age of the other horses. Cam had a confident strong gait and wasn't as easily excitable as his younger stable mates. She saddled him up and took him out of the barn. As she mounted up on him she felt like he was expecting her. They rode together as one, there being no distinction between horse and rider.

After her ride, Laura removed the saddle and bridle and lovingly brushed Cam, gave him some treats and water, and returned him to his stall. Then she went to help care for a couple of rescued horses that needed both physical and emotional healing. Laura understood the many reasons that humans hurt other humans. The reasons for hurting animals were not as clear. Today she was not working so no professional detachment was required.

Robbie thought about Laura several times throughout the day. He found out that Peterson had also booked the day off. Robbie berated himself for feeling like a jealous schoolboy.

The next several days were busy for both Robbie and Laura at work and they only saw each other at crime scenes after which they would try to find a few minutes to talk. When she asked about his back, Robbie assured her that it was much better.

Even though he was busy with work Robbie kept the appointment for a second session with his counselor, John Watson. This time he spent an hour talking about Laura. Robbie said that Laura was the strongest person that he knew. He had seen her work at gruesome crime scenes where big lads and seasoned veterans were reduced to tears or retching and she remained calm and professional. Lately though he thought more about her as a women and how she was caring and nurturing. No one was a better friend than Laura. He explained to John Watson about the list he was creating of things he could do for her to show that he cared about her, after he dealt with his feelings of guilt and betrayal.

When John Watson finally spoke it was to quote a famous detective, "Subtlety chases the obvious in a never-ending spiral and never quite catches it." Robbie got enough of that from Hathaway. He liked John Watson better when he just listened. As an answer to that Robbie explained about moving Val's picture out of the bedroom and got a nod of approval from the quiet counselor. The following week they would work on laying the guilt to rest.

At the next crime scene, instead of the usual flirting over the dead body, a man posing as a psychic, Robbie and Laura traded rather snarky comments, more like the ones Dr. Hobson and Chief Inspector Morse used to exchange. If their counselors had been asked to analyze this behavior they would have both made the same diagnosis, UST. The next time they saw each other Robbie tried to make amends with a joke, and they smiled at each other. By the end of the case they were once again exchanging lingering glances over a corpse.

Right before the case started James Hathaway had injured his neck when his car was hit from behind. Robbie suggested strong painkillers and a warm bath and offered him the use of his large tub but James chose to go to a posh spa instead. At the end of the case Robbie reinjured his back chasing a murderer through a crowded market. He didn't notice the return of the pain and spasms to his back until a couple of days later.

Laura had heard about Robbie's exertion at the end of the case and called him to see how he was feeling now that the adrenaline of the chase had worn off. Robbie said his back was hurting. He had planned to do his laundry but instead was going to spend the Sunday in bed. Laura was not working so she offered to bring the Sunday paper over to share and keep him company.

When she arrived Laura said she would do his laundry for him knowing that bending over to put clothes in the machine would be hard on his back. As she was talking to Robbie in the bedroom she noticed that Val's picture was gone. When she looked in the laundry bin she noticed something else. Robbie had neatly folded his clothes. She looked at the stack of boxer shorts from the bottom up. The first pair was one that she had bought for him, the next two were old ones from Val that Laura had mended, then two pair from Laura, one pair from Val, one pair from Laura, one pair from Lyn (Robbie would want to be fair to his daughter), then the last three were all from Laura.

Having got the laundry started Laura sat in the chair by the bed and she and Robbie traded sections of the Sunday paper back and forth. They laughed over the comics section and talked about the ones they had read as kids. That led to a conversation about childhood pranks and fun they had in the distant past. Laura asked Robbie if he minded if she put her feet up on the bed. Several long days of standing were taking their toll. He said of course he didn't mind. Robbie enjoyed this feeling of companionship and recalled something he had read in Moby Dick, "there is no place like a bed for confidential disclosures between friends".

Laura took off her shoes and put her feet up on the bed, leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. Then she did something she rarely did during the day, she fell asleep. Robbie couldn't help but stare at her for awhile. He thought about the work she did and wondered if she ever felt like she was surrounded by victims and villains. He looked at her feet up on his bed. She said that they hurt. Could he massage her feet the way she did his back? Would she mind? Should he wait until she wakes up and ask her?

Emboldened by his pain medicine Robbie shifted a bit in the bed so he could reach her feet with his right hand. He put his hand on top of her left foot and looked to see if she moved or woke up. Seeing no response he gently moved his thumb and fingers up and down. After a few minutes he switched to the right foot. He marveled at how these small feet held up such a strong woman. Then he took his hand back and worried that he had gone too far. Does her boyfriend do that for her, he wondered?

While she was sleeping, the subconscious Laura thought about how sometimes it was exhausting being Dr. Hobson, constantly surrounded by death. It wasn't taking proper care of the dead that was tiresome; it was the steady reminder of evil in the world. Then she had a sensation of caring and tenderness that consumed the darkness.

Laura opened her eyes and said she would go check on the laundry. She got up and told Robbie that her feet felt much better after putting them up, thanks for giving her some space on the bed. On her way to get the laundry Laura stopped to look at something she had noticed earlier, the display of family pictures. Something wasn't quite right about it. The picture of Robbie and Val together was in the back partially hidden behind other pictures. Laura moved it up just a bit, enough to make it more visible but not so much as to upset the balance Robbie had created.

Laura brought Robbie's laundry into the bedroom. As she folded clothes Laura looked at the stack of books on the nightstand. Robbie noticed her studying the titles and asked if she had read them all. Laura said she had read all of them save one. Robbie nodded, figuring he knew which book she had not read. Then Laura surprised him by saying that she had not ever got around to reading "The Da Vinci Code".

After she put the laundry away, her phone rang. Laura went into the kitchen and sat at the table to speak to Dr. Cook. He was out of his depths at a crime scene and needed her advice. She would have to take over the investigation. Dr. Cook was known for his improper diagnoses and disturbing evidence.

While Laura was on the phone, Robbie was busy in the bedroom. He thought of something else he needed to do today and he wanted Laura's help.

Laura told Robbie she had to leave. Robbie said of course, he understood, he would take a bath and get himself back to bed, but he did have a favor to ask. He nodded at a bag on the bed. Would she toss it in a rubbish bin for him, one not in the flat? Laura said she would and took the bag with her and put it on the front seat of her car while thinking about where the nearest rubbish bin was located.

Laura looked in the bag. She had a better idea.

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**The famous detective is Nero Wolfe in "The Silent Speaker" by Rex Stout **


End file.
